For Berlin parish deacon, ordination fulfills lifelong calling

“The Call to Stewardship” is a periodic series profiling individuals and families throughout the Diocese of Camden who have shown an inspiring response to the call to Christian stewardship highlighted in 1 Peter 4:10: “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

Deacon Michael Vitarelli felt a pull toward the church throughout his life. 

“I’m sure that tug began from the foundation of faith provided to me by my mom and grandmother,” said Deacon Vitarelli of Christ the Redeemer Parish, Atco.

Growing up in the Catholic faith, he felt God was calling him to something greater. Years passed, and life happened.

Then, one day he drove by his church. At the time, his business wasn’t doing well; it was 2008 and the stock market had crashed. He was feeling financial pressure since his wife, Meredith, was pregnant with their daughter, Anna, and his first child, Alexandra, was still young. He turned into the church parking lot and went to Mass. That led Deacon Vitarelli to begin attending daily Mass regularly.

“A fire started to build in me,” he said, explaining that he joined the parish’s small faith-sharing group. “I was really searching for something more, to be a better steward. This led me to the Third Order Franciscans.”

The Third Order Franciscans, known as the Seculars, includes men and women, married and single who gather in community and commit themselves to living out the Gospel according to the example of Saint Francis.

Wanting to increase his stewardship, he became an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, too, and then a lector.

Around the same time, his cousin entered the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults process, with him serving as her sponsor. The RCIA classes were run by Deacon Bob Iuliucci, who asked Vitarelli if he was interested in becoming a deacon. Deacon Iuliucci currently serves in Saint Simon Stock Parish, Berlin.

After attending an information session with his wife, the couple decided the timing wasn’t right. “We had another daughter, Angelina, by then and the girls were so young,” he explained.

Also during that time, Deacon Vitarelli’s schedule made it nearly impossible for him to commit to the Saturday classes. He was assigned to work in Pittsburgh Monday through Friday. Saturdays and Sundays were his only family time. By 2014, he was transferred to Baltimore, which he could commute to daily. He went to another information session and decided to begin deacon formation.

“About the same time, I began working in Camden. Classes switched from most of Saturday to Tuesday and Thursday evenings. It was like God was opening doors to make the process easier for my family,” he said.

Even with a better schedule, the five years of schooling for formation seemed daunting.

“In spite of that, once classes began, I was always studying,” Deacon Vitarelli said. “Writing the formation papers was difficult. There were times I fell behind. Then I had to reprioritize. But by the end, I loved it.”

Another challenge he faced along the way was dealing with anxiety, which complicated his public speaking assignments. “Funny that I put myself in a position to give homilies. But, I’ve found that the more I prepare, the more I get up and speak, the less anxious I am. And, by overcoming a difficulty, I’m being a good role model to my girls.”

Deacon Vitarelli credits his wife for her support in his diaconate journey, with her taking on extra work with the children while he was in class, offering encouragement, and reminding him to continue family traditions like saying nightly prayers with his daughters.

He was ordained a deacon in October 2020 and assigned to Saint Simon Stock Parish.

“That’s my grandmother’s parish, I was baptized there, and I already had connections. Everyone’s been so welcoming to me and my family,” he said.

Father Michael de Leon, A.M., parish pastor, said the parishioners were happy to welcome Deacon Vitarelli.

“From the beginning, he fit right in. He looks to see where he is needed to complement the work of our team,” Father de Leon said. “Deacon Michael’s daughters are already involved in stewardship, serving as altar servers, and Meredith is always with them at Mass.”

Deacon Vitarelli’s service to the parish has included assisting at baptisms, funerals and Masses, and giving homilies.

“After his homilies, I’ve heard such positive feedback from parishioners. So, to learn of his anxiety shows there is nothing you can’t overcome with God,” Father de Leon said.

Looking ahead, both Deacon Vitarelli and his wife will be serving in youth ministry, one of many new diaconate duties the lifelong Catholic is looking forward to.

“This journey has been life-changing,” he said, “Being a deacon is who I am. I look in the mirror and see Deacon Michael, not just the old Michael.”

The mission of the Office of Stewardship is to help the disciples of Christ who live in the Diocese of Camden to live out Christian charity in a sacrificial way that “we might understand the grace that comes from giving back from our blessings so that in all things God may be glorified.” For more information, contact Deacon Russell Davis at 856-583-6102.